AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He eyes me like a fat tiger ready to pounce on his third meal of the evening. His nostrils flare and his face turns red, but Richard thankfully doesn’t make a scene. Now’s as good a time as any to dip out.
“I’d better get going,” I say quickly. “I just wanted to stop by in person and give you my best wishes.”
“Are you sure you have to go?” John asks me. “I’d love to catch up.”
“Maybe another time. If you’re ever in the area, pop by the office and I’ll take you out to lunch.”
“I’ll hold you to it. Thanks again for coming, Pyotr.”
As quickly and discreetly as possible, I leave the area and start toward the car. Thank God I told the driver to keep the engine running. Of all the people who could have possibly been at this event, Richard is the last person I wanted to see. I have too much going on right now, and I’d rather not deal with his pain in the ass.
“Peter!” he shouts after me.
I’m tempted to ignore him, but he catches up to me. “I’m just leaving.”
“Talk about a small world,” he says. “We run in some pretty tight circles, hm?”
“Good night, Richard.”
“Where’s that pretty woman of yours?”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I don’t like his tone. “None of your business.”
“You have her hidden away, I see. I don’t blame you. Not after those pictures leaked.” Richard throws his head back and laughs. It’s an ugly, choked off sound that pisses me off. “You should’ve known to keep a tight leash, Peter. A pretty young thing like her was bound to get bored of you sooner or later—”
Something inside me snaps. I don’t know what it is. The way he addresses Alina so casually. His disrespect. The implication that she’s something to control. I won’t stand for it.
My body moves on its own. I snatch him up by the jacket lapels and get right up in his face. “Don’t talk about my wife that way. I know you had something to do with it.”
Richard shoves at my chest, pushing me back, and I release his jacket. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You think I wouldn’t put it together? You tried to make a scene at the gala, but it didn’t work, so you had to think of another way to try and embarrass us. Embarrassher. You sent that fucking drone to take pictures of her!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit!” I hiss.
“You shouldn’t go around accusing people of things they didn’t do.”
“That’s rich, coming from you.” I growl through clenched teeth. “You made Alina feel unsafe in her own home, asshole. I’m going to make sure you pay.”
“Seriously, Peter, what the fuck? Why would I send drones to pap your girl? That makes no fucking sense.”
“I know all about the dirty tricks you get up to in order to tank companies. That’s when you swoop in and take them over. Don’t stand there and look at me like I’m an idiot.”
“Youarean idiot,” Richard seethes. “If there really was a drone, it wasn’t mine.”
“Then who—”
I cut myself off. I see absolutely zero recognition in Richard’s eyes. He really doesn’t know what I’m talking about. I’ve never known him to be a particularly good liar, but I can tell he’s being truthful. Unfortunately, this is cause for even more alarm.
If Richard isn’t the one behind trying to sabotage me through Alina, then whois? Is there another player trying to bring me down a peg? Who could it be? And more importantly, who stands to gain something if our marriage falls apart?
I’ve wasted too much time on Richard already. Without another word, I head straight for the car.
“Take me home,” I tell the driver. “And make it snappy.”
Chapter 29
